FAQ
Is it really free? Why?(click to expand)
At its core, BoxyBSD provides free virtual machine (VPS) hosting, email hosting, and web hosting services built on BSD-based systems. These offerings are not designed for commercial profit but to support education, exploration, and innovation. By providing an environment where enthusiasts, students, and professionals can gain real hands-on experience, BoxyBSD helps people learn about system administration, networking, and security in a practical and barrier-free way.
This project was founded and is maintained by gyptazy, who has been deeply involved in the BSD and open-source ecosystems for many years. Having faced similar challenges at the beginning of his own journey, struggling to access reliable systems to test, learn, and experiment, he decided to create a platform that removes that obstacle for others. BoxyBSD is his way of giving something valuable back to the community, ensuring that curiosity and motivation are never stopped by a paywall or lack of access.
With state-of-the-art technologies and a strong commitment to open-source principles, BoxyBSD fosters a collaborative, educational environment where everyone can learn, build, and grow together.
To protect users’ privacy and maintain trust, BoxyBSD collects no personal data beyond what is absolutely necessary. As outlined in our Privacy Policy, we only use your GitHub nickname for account verification and your email address for essential notifications. Nothing more!
Who is behind the project?(click to expand)
The BoxyBSD project is operated by gyptazy, an experienced DevOps engineer and open-source contributor with a deep background in BSD and Linux systems. As the founder and maintainer, gyptazy oversees all aspects of the platform, from infrastructure and automation to community engagement and educational resources.
The project runs entirely as a non-profit initiative, sustained by volunteer effort and support from the open-source community. With a commitment to transparency, accessibility, and education, BoxyBSD reflects gyptazy’s goal to give back to the community and help others learn and grow in the world of BSD.
If you're interested, you can find the whole story about the origins of BoxyBSD right here.
What is forbidden at BoxyBSD?(click to expand)
The initial idea of this project is to provide a valuable platform for
people interested in BSD and open-source. This means, that it should
also be used and treated in this way - for research and learning. Do
not waste resources (especially network traffic)! You should also take
care for your instance and keep it up to date and secure.
Strongly forbidden is everything which results into illegal activities
(e.g., hacking, ddos etc.) but also annoying things like port scanning
of foreign systems and so on. Every kind of pornographic material is
forbidden and also running TOR nodes, Torrent etc..
Where can I get more BSD help?(click to expand)
Working with BSD systems such as FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, or DragonFly BSD can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but like any powerful ecosystem, it comes with its own learning curve. Fortunately, the BSD community is known for being knowledgeable, helpful, and very open to newcomers who want to learn and contribute.
A great starting point for connecting with like-minded enthusiasts is the BSD Café community, available at bsd.cafe. This community-driven space brings together users, developers, and hobbyists who share a passion for BSD-based systems and open-source software in general.
The BSD Cafe offers several ways to get involved and seek help:
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💬 Matrix Chat:
Join the Matrix chat to discuss topics in real time. Whether you’re troubleshooting an issue, setting up a new system, or exploring advanced features like ZFS, Jails, or Bhyve, you’ll find others who are eager to assist. It’s a friendly environment, especially welcoming to those just starting their BSD journey.
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🌐 Fediverse / Mastodon Instance:
The BSD Café also hosts a Mastodon instance as a decentralized social platform where you can follow other BSD users, share your setups, and keep up with the latest developments across the BSD world. It’s a great way to stay connected beyond technical discussions and become part of a broader, supportive community.
gyptazy and Stefano are closely working hand in hand to make BSD more attractive to new users and beginners and to provide a friendly and welcoming environment for everyone interested in learning more about BSD systems. So don’t hesitate to reach out, ask questions, and share your experiences where the BSD community is here to help you succeed!
Which BSD versions are available?(click to expand)
At BoxyBSD our mission is to provide you access to as many as possible BSD or Solaris based systems. Therefore, we support a wide range of systems from the current stable version. Currently you can select:
- DragonFly BSD
- FreeBSD (14.x, 15.x)
- GhostBSD
- Illumos
- MidnightBSD
- NetBSD (various versions)
- OpenBSD (various versions)
- SmartOS (Illumos-based)
- TrueNAS SCALE (FreeBSD-based)
Where are your data centers located?(click to expand)
SSH usage with latency doesn't make any fun - and we're aware of it! Therefore, we try to bring your Box as close as possible to you. As a result, we currently operate at the following sites:
- Canada — Toronto
- France — Roubaix
- Germany — Frankfurt
- Germany — Limburg
- Italy — Milan
- Japan — Tokyo
- Netherlands — Amsterdam
- Netherlands — Eygelshoven
- Ukraine — Kyiv
- USA — New York
- Singapore — Singapore
How long does a VPS Box run? Is there a cancellation?(click to expand)
Once a new Box is provisioned, it runs for 90 days. You can track the remaining days in your control panel. You can extend the period for additional 90 days by clicking the extend button in the control panel. If a Box doesn't get extended, the box gets deleted as soon as its lifetime expired.
Do you make backups?(click to expand)
No! BoxyBSD is a learning platform providing short-living free VPS instances and is not meant for production services. Boxes can die at any time and there's no gurantee for any data or availability.
Can I get an additional IPv6 subnet?(click to expand)
Yes, depending on your location we offer a /48 or /64 IPv6 subnet
for your VPS. Usually, you can immediately use a /64 on all locations
where the subnet is simply the squirrel of your VPS ID. For example,
if you have the following IP and VM ID:
- IPv6: 2a13:e3c0:23:1337::506
- VM ID: 506
your subnet would be:
Can I set a custom reverse DNS (PTR)?(click to expand)
Yes, of course!
Traffic & Bandwidth?(click to expand)
Traffic is needed and you should do what you need to do but please do not
generate unnecessary traffic. Please do not provide any download portals
and do not run P2P sharing systems like Torrent. This is currently stated
as "fair use" traffic but may change at any time. The host nodes are
connected with multiple Gbit interfaces but each VM is limited to 100 Mbit.
If there is any reason to get more bandwidth, please contact us.
Do you peer at DN42 via BGP?(click to expand)
Yes, we also support the DN42 network and also peer there. Using DN42
offers you not only a direct peering with gyptazy open-source solutions
and BoxyBSD, but also to use IPv4 and your own IPs (IPv4 and IPv6).
We peer at DN42 as:
- AS4242423588: BoxyBSD
- AS4242421344: gyptazy open-source solutions
If you like to peer with us, please simply contact us at
peering@boxybsd.com or peering@gyptazy.com for further information.
How can I donate?(click to expand)
Thanks a lot and this is really appreciated but BoxyBSD does not accept any donations.
